Wire braced rigid display package



Dec. 17, 1963 H. ROSENTHAL WIRE BRACED RIGID DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed Jan. 11, 1963 Harry Rosenfhal BY W FIG. 5.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,114,453 WIRE BRACED RIGID DISPLAY PACKAGE 7 Harry Rosenthal, 304 Lake Circle, Portsmouth, Va. Filed Jan. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 250,811 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-4533) This invention relates to a novel wire-braced rigid generally rectangular container for packaging items to be displayed, and more particularly, relates to such a container formed of a plurality of elongated wire braces, one at each vertical corner of the container, each brace member having two ends each turned at right angles along an adjacent top or bottom edge of the container and then turned inwardly. These inwardly turned ends are relatively short in relation to the vertical braces of the container and are inserted into the hem, e.g., the folded over ends of rectangular top and bottom members made of rigid corrugated or paperboard material.

More particularly, the inturned rel-atively short ends of each wire corner brace define and outline a rigid corner structure of the container. The inturned right angle terminal portion in the plane of the top and bottom of the container provides a unique structure which prevents tilting of the vertical brace portions because of mechanical interlocking action of the novel end structure in relation to the flat rectangular top and bottom members into which the inturned ends of' the braces are inserted. The width of the hem is substantially the same as the length of the inturned terminating wire portion and the initially turned portion is also substantially the same proportion as the width of the hem. i

A transparent sheet forms the walls. This transparent sheet is a moisture proof film, such as rubber hydrochloride or cellulose acetate or regenerated cellulose or polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, polypropylene, vinylidene chloride polymers of the Saran type, or various copolyrners of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile and the like in the form of commercially available heatsealing film.

In forming a package in accordance with the invention, a container is made by folding or bending over one pair of opposing ends of die-cut, strong, rigid rectangular top and bottom pieces of cardboard, paperboard or corrugated material to form a hem or folded over portion of substantially the same or slightly greater width as the length of the inturned terminating wire portion. The edge of each hem may be sewn, stapled, bonded or otherwise secured or fastened in place in any suitable manner. The wire corner braces are then inserted into the open lateral ends of the hem, first at an angle so that the inturned terminal portions of the braces do not destroy the hem fastenings. Then the corner braces are turned so that the inwardly turned terminal portions are at right angles to the edge of the hem. Alternatively the wire corner braces may be inserted into unfastened lateral open ends of the hem and then the open ends secured. Thus the inwardly turned ends are held in place by the secured edge of the hem so that the wire corner braces cannot slide or be moved away from the top and bottom cardboard pieces.

After the corner braces have been positioned and the items for displaying are positioned, the transparent sheet forming the envelope may be bonded, welded or fastened into place in any suitable manner around the rigid frame formed by the corner braces and top and bottom members, or surrounding the entire frame.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display container of sturdy, simple construction which can withstand the usual handling to which such goods are subjected while at the same time protecting the items being displayed from mutilation and exposure.

3,114,453 Patented Dec. 17., 1963 Another object of the present invention is the provision of simply constructed, easily dismantled display container requiring relatively few structural elements of simple and economical design, and which may be employed as a product-enhancing inner container for shipping purposes.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of an assembled container according to one form of the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively are exploded and assembled views in perspective of another form of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view of a corner brace according to an embodiment of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, throughout which, where appropriate, like reference numerals represent like pants, the novel container 11 is shown in FIG. 1 formed of identical rectangular top and bottom walls 13 and 15 of cardboard, paperboard or corrugated material. The top and bottom walls 13 and 15 are each folded inwardly near opposite sides along fold lines 17 to form folded over portions 19 held at hem lines 21. The folded over portions 19 provide additional strength especially attractive, smooth-surfaced non-corrugated wall materials.

Each of the hems 21 may be fastened or secured in place as by welding or bonding, or by any other suitable means in their respective folded over positions as shown in FIG. 2.

Into one pair of opposing diagonal corners 23 and 25 of the top and bottom walls 13 and 15 are inserted the ends of identical upright corner braces 27 made of relatively stiff wire, e.g., of approximately the stiffness of wire used in clothes hangers. Each corner brace is in the form of a straight or substantially straight wire portion .29 having at each end identical L-shaped wire terminal portions 31, each lying in a plane perpendicular to that of the wire portion 29. The L-shaped terminal portion 31 has a right angle portion 33 which is parallel with the fold lines 17 and inturned portion 35 which lies in the plane of one of the walls 13 or 15 and is perpendicular to the fold lines 17 or 19.

Into the other pair of opposing diagonal corners 37 and 39 of the top and bottom walls 13 and 15 are inserted the ends of corner braces 41, each of a shape which is the exact mirror image of the corner braces 27. Inasmuch as the end portions of all the braces are of the same shape, (the various portions of the corner braces 41 are accorded the same reference numerals as the braces 27 previously described.

As further shown in FIG. 2, the pairs of corner braces 27 and 41 when inserted have their L-shaped portions 31 frictionally held within the confines of the secured folded over portions 19. By virtue of this novel arrangement, the assembled container 11 is prevented from swaying or collapsing lengthwise by the resistance of the right angle portions 33 and widthwise by the inturned portions 35, bearing against the inner surfaces of the folded over portions 19.

After placing items to be displayed inside the container 11, a transparent sheet 43 of any suitable material may be placed between or enveloping the braces, or around the entire container to provide a moisture proof shield for the container. E

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a container 45 is shown having top and bottom pieces 47 and 4% and a back wall 51 all of which may be folded from a single strip or sheet of cardboard, paperboard or the like. The fronts of the top and bottom pieces 47 and 49 are folded inwardly along lines 17 to form folded over portions 19 which may be suitably held at a hemline 21 in the same manner as discussed in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2. The back wall 51 provides support and may be employed as an attnactive back drop for items displayed.

Only two wire corner braces .27 and 41 are required for additional support in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, said braces being mounted at opposite ends of the front end of the container 45. The L-shaped end portions 31 of the corner braces 27 and 41 are inserted into the folded over portions 19 in the same manner as discussed in con junction with FIGS. 1 and 2. The display container 45 is then surrounded with a transparent covering 43 to thereby provide an attractive display container open on three vertical sides.

The ends of the wire corner braces may have a shape as illustrated in FIG. in order to provide still greater resistance against widthwise swaying of the container, and thus, greater rigidity. The wire corner brace shown in FIG. 5 includes a straight portion 53 and identical end portions 55 each having a U-shaped terminal portion 57 located at the end of a right angle portion 59 lying in a plane perpendicular to the straight wire portion 53. The U-shaped portion 57 provides an additional wire length parallel to the inturned terminal portion 35 shown in FIGS 1-4 to further prevent widthwise swaying. Moreover, the added length of the end portion in the general direction of the fold line 17 provides additional resistance to prevent lengthwise swaying, thus adding to the overall rigidity of the container.

The present invention provides not only an economical and easy-to-construct display package but also a container for display purposes which may also be employed as the inner shipping container for items displayed therein. The view of the items displayed is practically unobstructed from 3 or 4 sides. Further, when placed on or in a counter, none of the Wire elements comes into contact with the counter, thus preventing damage to the counter.

The invention has been described more or less precisely as to details, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, and that changes may be made in the form and proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is limited only by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A rigid, transparent-walled rectangular, display container adapted for use as a product viewing and product storing shipping container comprising: substantially rectangular top and bottom sheets of stiff material, each sheet having a parallel inwardly folded longitudinal edge portion at each of its opposite ends, said edge portion being integral with the Hat portion of the sheet; a stiff wire upright brace mounted in each corner separating said top and bottom sheets, each of said braces being of the same length to form all sides of the rectangular container of tne same height, each brace having a terminal L-shaped portion extending at right angles to the brace with both of the L-shaped portions being removable and being snugly inserted into the space between the top and bottom flat portions of said sheets thereby providing resistance against the lengthwise and sidewise movement of the display container; said terminal L-shaped portions of each of said braces having a wire portion parallel to the folded portions of said sheets and a substantially U-shaped portion terminating said parallel wire portion; and a transparent envelope, supported by said braces, completely enveloping the rigid container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,108,289 Weiss Aug. 25, 1914 1,428,070 Young Sept. 5, 1922 2,156,556 Weltrner May 2, 1939 2,315,061 Logan Mar. 30, 1943 2,580,029 Krauss Dec. 25, 1951 2,605,895 Reynolds Aug. 5, 1952 

